Future Is Bright For Middle States Junior Standout

Over the years, David Wilczynski has earned plenty of bragging rights on the tennis court.

As a junior player, he was a blue chip recruit and a Middle States Section Champion. He represented the Section at national events and was a Middle States award recipient. Last year, as a senior at Council Rock North High School, Wilczynski went 21-0.

Without losing a set.

When talking to Wilczynski, though, one thing is clear: To him, the past doesn’t matter. Now a freshman at Stanford University, Wilczynski is focused solely on what’s ahead.

“There’s a lot coming up in the next four years, and I know I’ll have a lot of opportunity,” Wilczynski said. “There’s a lot of excitement for me and my family.”

Years ago, Wilczynski’s grandfather got the family involved in tennis by building a court for the family — particularly David’s mother — to play on. Eventually, tennis became a family sport.

David first picked up a racquet at the age of 5, and played in his first tournament at 8. After that first taste of competition, he knew tennis was the sport for him.

“I remember that I loved the adrenaline and the excitement,” he said. “I still do. I love how it’s all on me out there.”

Wilczynski’s game developed rapidly as he grew. He played as much tennis as he could, competing in sectional tournaments and improving each step of the way. He said he realized he could become a college player when, as a teenager, he made the jump from sectional to national tournaments and found himself competing with some of the top juniors across the country. Ever since then, he never lost sight of his goal: a college scholarship.

Over the last few years, college coaches began noticing Wilczynski as a high-level prospect as he continued to impress at just about every showing. Training at Legacy Youth Tennis & Education in Philadelphia, he and his family began targeting potential schools to play tennis. But until he received the phone call with an official offer, nothing was secure.

Then, just last year, Stanford’s head coach called.

“When I got the call, everything that I had done with tennis and academics flashed through my head,” he said. “I remember my dad and I were going out to dinner and my phone rang. The phone connection was kind of weak, but I could understand what it meant. All the work that I had put in — and everything my parents did for me — paid off.”

Stanford plays in the always-competitive PAC-12 Conference, which includes teams like UCLA, Arizona and USC. The men’s season features tournaments and invitationals throughout the fall, with head-to-head matches taking place in the winter and spring.

Wilczynski said he knows it’ll be an adjustment in lifestyle and competition, but he’s ready for the challenge.

“Academics and athletics, I think I’m prepared,” Wilczynski said. “I’m used to balancing tennis with a lot of other things. I know I’ll need to get used to the time management, but I’ve worked hard every day thinking about that.”